“Purpose +(Love+Passion) = Improvement”

A lof my friends asked me how I am learning Chinese.
很多朋友问我怎么学中文。

There are a lot of methods of learning a language. Beside that, everyone has her/his own preference of learning method. Some people prefer to learn by her/himself, some people prefer going to language school.
学语言有很多不一样的方法。而且我们都有自己的习惯。因人而异。有人比较喜欢自学，有人比较喜欢去语言学校。

In fact, the method is not that important. From my point of view, thepurpose is most important: Why I want to learn Chinese? What I want to do when I am able to speak Chinese? This is something (for me) I need to think about and define before I start.
其实呢，方法不是最重要的，但是对我来说目的是最重要的：为什么我想学中文？学完以后我想做什么？一定要考虑清楚。

When I started to learn Chinese, I had a dream: One day I will move to China, settle down there, get married, enjoy the Chinese culture, make a lot of Chinese friends etc.
我开始学中文是因为我有一个梦想。有一天搬到国内，在那里安家，结婚，了解国内的文化，交很多国内的朋友。

Learning a language is not that easy. Not seldom I face the resistance or feeling of give up. In such situation, I remind myself about my own purpose, which I defined earlier. I came so far. Do I really want to give up? By reminding myself, I would be able to find back my confidence and continue learning.
我觉得学语言不是那么容易的。想放弃时，让自己想起目的，为了目的重拾信心，会继续再努力。

Beside the purpse, passion and love towards the Chinese language are important factors as well. If I do not have these, I can use a book, CD, DVD, APP or what so ever, there are just useless tools and/or my progress will be slow.
除了目的，还有对中文的激情很重要的。如果没有的话，即使有书，CD，DVD，APP 等，也是没有用的或者进步很慢。

Frankly speaking, when I have just started learning Chinese, I did not have any passion at all. I tried different methods, my progress was very slow, I was afraid making mistakes and I was basically unsatisfied.
真诚地说我开始学中文的时候，我对中文没有激情。我试过很多方法, 进步却不太大，一直很怕说错了或者不满意。

Learning Chinese at that time, was just a struggling process. And I have changed teachers several times.
那时学中文很辛苦，换了几次老师。

One day, when I was traveling in Guangzhou by my own, I got lost. The only way to find my way back was talking to a local. So, I did. And the lady did not understand at all what I was talking about, because my pronunciation was not that good. I used body languages, drew pictures on the map, finally she understood what I was talking about. I got the help I needed and in the end I was able to arrive safely and relieved in my hotel.
有一天在广州旅行时，我迷路了。但是没有方法，问本地人路。因为我说得不好，所以她听不懂我说什么。我用手话，加上在地图上画画，最后她才能明白我的意思。我终于安全地回到了酒店。

This experience reminds me that not the method, but the target/aim and being are very important.
这个经验让我才知道方法不是很重要的，但是目的和感觉是很重要的。

There are not any limitation for learning and practicing Chinese. As long there is motivation, every method works.
学中文或者练习中文没有限度。有动机的话，什么都可以。

Beside learning with a book and with a teacher, I am making friends from Mainland China living in Hong Kong, learning Chinese songs, reading books, watching Chinese dramas and TV –Shows as “You are the one!”, and talking to random people I met in the supermarket, in the air plane, in the train, on the street, in the restaurant etc. This way, I created my own Mandarin Chinese environment in Hong Kong,
除了用书和跟老师学中文以外，我还交了在香港住的国内朋友，学中文歌, 看中文书, 看中文的电视剧和电视节目 “我们约会吧”，跟任何地方 －例如在路上, 餐厅, 超级市场, 飞机里, 火车里,－ 月遇到的人说中文等。我创造自己的语言环境。

This way of learning Chinese is much more interesting and amusing. My Chinese has improved ever since.
这让我觉得中文越来越有趣，我的中文也越来越好了。